Apparatus for Carrying Out Translucent-Processing to Still and Moving Pictures and Method of Doing the Same

1. An apparatus for carrying out translucent-processing to still and moving pictures, including a moving picture processor for carrying out -blending process to a moving picture to be displayed, and a still picture processor for carrying out -blending process to a still picture to be displayed.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said still picture processor carries out said -blending process to a still picture only when said still picture is updated.

3. An apparatus for carrying out translucent-processing to still and moving pictures, comprising: (a) a judgment unit which judges whether a picture to be displayed is a still or moving picture, and transmits a judgment signal accordingly; (b) a memory which stores first data about first and second pictures to be processed, and second data indicative of a ratio at which pixels of said first and second pictures are blended; (c) a still picture processor which, when said judgment signal indicates that a picture to be processed is a still picture, blends color-relating values of said pixels in a portion at which said first and second pictures overlap each other, at said ratio, for producing third data relating to a translucent picture, and stores the thus produced third data in said memory; and (d) a moving picture processor which, when said judgment signal indicates that a picture to be processed is a moving picture, blends color-relating values of said pixels in a portion at which said first and second pictures overlap each other, at said ratio, for producing fourth data relating to a translucent picture.

4. The apparatus as set forth in claim 3 , wherein said still picture processor carries out translucent-processing to said still picture only when said still picture is updated.

5. An apparatus for carrying out translucent-processing to still and moving pictures, comprising: (a) a central processing unit which judges whether a picture to be displayed is a still or moving picture, and transmits a judgment signal accordingly; (b) a memory which stores first data about first and second pictures to be processed, and second data indicative of a ratio at which pixels of said first and second pictures are blended; (c) a video interface through which video data is input into said apparatus; (d) a digital differential analysis circuit electrically connected between said central processing unit and said memory; (e) a texture mapping circuit electrically connected between said central processing unit and said memory; (f) a bit-block transferring circuit for transferring a bit block between said central processing unit and said memory; (g) a display macro circuit which controls picture-displaying; (h) a still picture processor which, when said judgment signal indicates that a picture to be processed is a still picture, blends color-relating values of said pixels in a portion at which said first and second pictures overlap each other, at said ratio, for producing third data relating to a translucent picture, and stores the thus produced third data in said memory, said still picture processor being equipped in said bit-block transferring circuit; and (i) a moving picture processor which, when said judgment signal indicates that a picture to be processed is a moving picture, blends color-relating values of said pixels in a portion at which said first and second pictures overlap each other, at said ratio, for producing fourth data relating to a translucent picture, said moving picture processor being equipped in said display macro circuit.

6. The apparatus as set forth in claim 5 , wherein said still picture processor carries out translucent-processing in a period of time equal to a time necessary for transferring rectangular picture data.

7. The apparatus as set forth in claim 5 , wherein said still picture processor carries out translucent-processing to said still picture only when said still picture is updated.

8. An apparatus for carrying out translucent-processing to still and moving pictures, comprising: (a) a central processing unit which judges whether a picture to be displayed is a still or moving picture, and transmits a judgment signal accordingly; (b) a memory which stores first data about first and second pictures to be processed, and second data indicative of a ratio at which pixels of said first and second pictures are blended; (c) a video interface through which video data is input into said apparatus; (d) a digital differential analysis circuit electrically connected between said central processing unit and said memory; (e) a texture mapping circuit electrically connected between said central processing unit and said memory; (f) a bit-block transferring circuit for transferring a bit block between said central processing unit and said memory; (g) a display macro circuit which controls picture-displaying; (h) a still picture processor which, when said judgment signal indicates that a picture to be processed is a still picture, blends color-relating values of said pixels in a portion at which said first and second pictures overlap each other, at said ratio, for producing third data relating to a translucent picture, and stores the thus produced third data in said memory, said still picture processor being equipped in said texture mapping circuit; and (i) a moving picture processor which, when said judgment signal indicates that a picture to be processed is a moving picture, blends color-relating values of said pixels in a portion at which said first and second pictures overlap each other, at said ratio, for producing fourth data relating to a translucent picture, said moving picture processor being equipped in said display macro circuit.

9. The apparatus as set forth in claim 8 , wherein said still picture processor carries out translucent-processing to said still picture only when said still picture is updated.

10. A method of carrying out translucent-processing to still and moving pictures, comprising the steps of: carrying out -blending process to a moving picture to be displayed, in accordance with first steps; and carrying out -blending process to a still picture to be displayed, in accordance with second steps.

11. The method as set forth in claim 10 , wherein said -blending process is carried out to said still picture only when said still picture is updated.

12. A method of carrying out translucent-processing to still and moving pictures, comprising the steps of: (a) judging whether a picture to be displayed is a still or moving picture; (b) storing first data about first and second pictures to be processed, and second data indicative of a ratio at which pixels of said first and second pictures are blended, into a memory; (c) when said picture to be processed is a still picture, blending color-relating values of said pixels in a portion at which said first and second pictures overlap each other, at said ratio, for producing third data relating to a translucent picture, and storing the thus produced third data in said memory; and (d) when said judgment signal indicates that a picture to be processed is a moving picture, blending color-relating values of said pixels in a portion at which said first and second pictures overlap each other, at said ratio, for producing fourth data relating to a translucent picture.

13. The method as set forth in claim 12 , wherein said step (c) is carried out only when said still picture is updated.

14. A method of carrying out translucent-processing to still and moving pictures, comprising the steps of: (a) receiving first data of a still picture, second data of a still picture, third data of a moving picture, fourth data of a moving picture, and -blending ratio , and storing them into a memory; (b) reading said first and second data and said blending ratio out of said memory; (c) carrying out -blending process to both said first and second data, and said third and fourth data independently of each other; and (d) storing said first and second data into said memory.

15. The method as set forth in claim 14 , further comprising: (e) reading said first and second data again out of said memory; (f) transmitting said first and second data for displaying pictures expressed by said first and second data; and (g) repeating said steps (e) and (f) until said still picture is updated.